, 1887-11-03
MASTER OF THE HOUNDS.
Qualifications of the Successful Hunts
mnn-TantRlizIng the Pack-"Blood."


publication of the Successful Hunts
mnn-Tantalizing the Pack-"Blood."
II a hunter is sufficiently versed in the
craft and has the physical strength, as
well as devotion to the cause, to go
through the fatigue-and it is very con-
siderable-of drawing coverts (by far the
most wearisome part of the whole bust
ness), halloaing his hounds away to their
fox, cheering them in chase, as well as
always being close to them during a run,
he will do well to hunt them himself;
but it is a task of all things that demands
endurance, patience, keenness, in eminent
degree, and above all. in order to be sue
%cessful, an intuitive, Unborn knowledge of
hunting. He must. moreover, or at least
he ought to, spend a great deal of his
time in his kennels, often draw out the
hounds to feed, walk them out in the
airing meadow, and in every way SO
familiarize himself with them that they
will care for no one but him, will fly to
his halloa, turning to his voice or even
hand, and, in their own way, absolutely
talk to him.
1t is not, however, every man who,
fond as he may be of hounds and capable
of hunting them, cares to or can devote
so much time and attention to them at
home-added to which the kennels are
often several miles from his house; but,
even without the performance of all these
domestic details, he will nave them as
much under command and as ready to
work for him as he can wish if his hunt
ing of them is good enough and if they
get hat confidence in his appreciation of
them, and in his power to guide or help
them, which is indispensable to sport.
Above all, if he is as anxious to kill as
they are themselves, and if, when he has
his fox in hand, more especially at the
end OF a hard run or a long day, he
breaks him up in style, making the very
most of the obsequies, and tantalizing
them with the expected worry till they
are almost frantic.
To see a master or huntsman holding
his fox high in air, a big dog pack in
front Of him, every hound mad with ex-
%pectation and baying with that savage,
angry note only heard when they are
about to eat him, and then with a last
'Wharp, tellyo, tellyoi" dash the fox
into their faces, to be torn in an instant
into a hundred tatters of brown''-this
sight is enough to stir even a limpid
spirit, and make it feel there is something
in fox hunting. There is a great deal Of
moonshine talked about blood" but
hounds run just as fast whether they kill
or not. 1t is there instinct to chase-to
drive their hardest on the scent, accord
ing as it serves them-and it makes no
difference to them whether they have
broken up a brace of foxes In the morn
ing or not, as to how they will settle to
their afternoon fox. The primary bust
ness of the huntsman is said to be to kill
the fox; our w opinion is, that it is
much more TO show sport; and if we were
master of any hunt servants who used
unfair means, such as heading him back
into their mouths at the end OF a covert,
they would not do it a second time and
stay with us.
Blood" Is a mania with many good
men, but most of all is it carried tn ex.
cess in the clubbing season. From the be-
ginning Of September. often a fortnight
earlier, for several weeks, the practice is
to take out about thirty couples of hounds,
the majority being old, or working
ones, at daylight, throw them into some
small spinnery or other place where there
is known to be a litter, and literally
''mop up a brace or leash of the unso-
p~histicated youngsters before they have
ever heard the sound of horn or hound.
hhdt young nOunus WANT 10 learn nrSt
and foremost is to put their noses down
and hunt a line by scent; and they are
certainly not likely to do this by being
turned loose in some inclosure where they
ARE for the greater part Of the time per-
forming natural feats OF valor after hares
and rabbits. The real secret of this slaugh-
ter of the innocents is to azgrandize the
total Of masks at the end of the season.
A crack pack that goes out -four and five
days a week will, in a good open season,
bring to hand from seventy to a hundred
brace Of foxes. But how many of these
have been killed before even Oct. be-
fore Q o'clock in the morning-and not
before more than a dozen people-why,
nearly half of them.-Outing.
Do not be induced to take some othes
preparation when you call for Hood'r
S~arsaparllla, Be sure to get Hood's.